STAY STRONG SUSAN

My mother, Susan Olson, is nothing short of extraordinary. For as long as I could remember, she worked hard—sometimes too hard—to provide for my brother and I. Inch by inch, she clawed her way through, building her career and enjoying, for a time, all of the success promised within the American dream. She is a fighter, and she has time and again shown the world what she is made of.


But now she is embroiled in the fight of her life. She was diagnosed with cancer, which she has battled for years, and now there is a tumor on her liver. Without the proper treatment, this will surely end her amazing story. For all her success and all she has done in this world and in this country, the system has failed Susan. Business has taken precedence over her life. You always hear of people going bankrupt over something like pneumonia, or being left to die because there was no profit in allowing treatment. Health care is expensive, especially such long-term treatment for cancer. Without the proper health insurance coverage, she can’t afford treatment. Disability has run out, and the Social Security checks don’t even come close to getting her by. Her savings are drained, and as a last resort, the debt is piling up. And now the debt collectors are suing.


It is a tragedy that such a compassionate woman has met with such indifference in the world. But I believe that love is more powerful. Susan is one of the strongest women that you will ever know. But even such a force of nature needs a team. She needs a community of supporters to help her in this fight—to join her children, grandchildren, loved ones, and friends in proving what can be done through love, hope, and prayer. If you can spare anything, even if just a few dollars, please help Susan get the treatment she so desperately needs. Thank you, and God bless.